Men's Basketball | 2/20/2026 6:27:00 PM

GAME 26
Emporia State (8-17, 4-12 MIAA) vs. Newman (5-20, 1-15 MIAA)
Saturday, February 21 • 3:30 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • WL White Auditorium
Series Record: ESU leads 29-14 • Last Meeting: at NU 89, ESU 85 (Feb. 22, 2025)
Radio: KFFX 104.9FM 
Internet Audio: kvoe.com | Television: None | Internet Video: The MIAA Network
Live Stats | Ticket Info | Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: at Missouri Western • 7:30 p.m. • February 25 • St. Joseph, Mo. • Looney Fieldhouse

RETRO NIGHT AT WHITE 
Emporia State returns to White Auditorium to take on Newman on Retro Day.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 8-17, 4-12 in the MIAA and have played the fourth toughest schedule in the country. They are third in the MIAA in made three-pointers per game. Chris Harris leads the Hornets at 12.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Trey Redd leads the MIAA in assist to turnover ratio. Five of their losses have been by five points or less. 

ABOUT THE JETS
Newman is 5-20, 1-15 in the MIAA and have lost 16 straight games. They are fourth in the MIAA in offensive rebounds per game. Terrell Wright is second in the league in blocked shots per game.

ABOUT THE COACHES
Tom Billeter is 509-309 in his 28th season as a head coach and is 19-35 in his second season at Emporia State after going 394-224 in 21 years at Augustana. With the Vikings he won the 2016 National Championship, went to nine NCAA Tournaments, won three regular season NSIC Championships, two NSIC Tourney Championships, and 18 consecutive winning seasons.  He is 0-1 against Newman.
R.J. Allen is 89-153 in his eighth season at Newman. He is 4-9 against Emporia State.

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE JETS
Emporia State leads the series 29-14 all-time. The Hornets have won the last four meetings in White Auditorium by an average of 24.5 points. 

LAST TIME VS NEWMAN
Emporia State cut a ten point deficit with three minutes left down to two but could not complete the comeback in an 89-85 loss at Newman. 
The Jets climbed out to a 7-0 start in the opening minutes, before a 13-4 run, capped off by an Arhman Lewis three, gave the Hornets their first lead heading into the first media timeout. A three by Chris Harris made gave ESU a 28-26 lead at the 6:28 mark. The lead would change hands over the next three minutes, before Newman closed the half on a 15-7 run, to take a 46-40 lead into the break. The Jets expanded their lead to start the second half, taking a 54-44 lead at the 17:00 mark. An 8-1 Hornet run made the score 55-52 with 13:38 left. The Jets led 78-68 with just over three minutes remaining. Over the next 90 seconds, the Hornets got six points from Chris Harris and four points from Malik Edwards to trim the deficit to 81-78 with 1:44 left. A pair of free throws by Karyiek Dixon cut the Newman lead to 82-80 at the 1:24 mark.  Newman knocked down a three to build an 85-80 lead with 29.6 seconds remaining. The Hornets answered on the next possession, as Harris made his fourth three of the game to make the score 85-83 with 17.2 seconds left.  Newman hit two free throws with 14.9 left before Arhman Lewis made a layup with 9.8 seconds left to trim the Jets lead to 87-85. The Jets sealed the game with 8.6 seconds left with two more free throws as the Hornets fell 89-85. 
Chris Harris led the Hornets with 21 points and was one of four in double figures. Malik Edwards scored 18 points while Karyiek Dixon and Parker Day had 15 and 14 points respectively. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Hornet men rallied from an 18-point deficit to pull level with a minute left before falling 84-78 on the road at Neb.-Kearney.
The lead traded hands five times leading up to the first media timeout with 12:23 left in the first half and Emporia State trailing Neb.-Kearney 18-17. Out of the timeout, the Lopers stretched their lead to 26-19, but the Hornets responded with a 10-2 scoring run to go up 29-28 at the 8:22 mark. UNK used a 13-0 run to take their largest lead of the day at 51-33 with 1:24 left in the half before Trey Redd converted an old fashioned three-point play iwth 4.7 seconds left to get the Hornets within 51-36 at the break. Neb.-Kearney led 66-51 with 12:53 left in the game when Emporia State scored the next nine points to close the gap to 66-60 with 10:19 remaining. The Hornets chipped away and got with 72-69 at the 6:47 mark on a Dallas Bear three. The entire 18-point deficit was finally closed at the 1:48 mark on Bear's fourth three of the game to tie the game at 76-76. Tom Connely hit a three with 46.8 seconds left to put UNK up 81-78 and the Lopers would hit three of four free throws in the final 28.7 seconds to seal the win. Treyvon Taylor matched his career-high with 21 points while also recording his second double-double with ten rebounds. Trey Redd had 13 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Dallas Bear had 12 points on four of eight shooting from three. The Hornets played without leading scorer and rebounder Chris Harris due to an ankle injury on Thursday at Fort Hays State.

UP NEXT
The Hornets head to St. Joseph, Mo. to take on Missouri Western in their final regular season road trip. Tip-off from the Looney Fieldhouse is set for 7:30 p.m.

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